Shop Tips
Workshop Tip: Protect clamp bars with waxed paper
This precaution keeps glue squeeze-out from gumming up your clamps.
I love my parallel-jaw bench clamps, but I don’t love how glue squeeze-out drips onto the serrated bars, making the clamps hard to operate. After a recent cleaning, I’ve started laying waxed paper over the bars to prevent the problem. Waxed paper also prevents pipe-clamp bars from discoloring wood when glue oxidizes the steel pipes.
—TOM SCHORN, Groton, Mass.
Illustrations by Dan Thornton
From Fine Woodworking issue #296
Fine Woodworking Recommended Products
Bessey K-Body Parallel-Jaw Clamp
The 3 3/4" deep parallel jaws allow for all types of clamping, from thin panels to joinery.
Rockler Deluxe Panel Clamp
These clamps can handle glue-ups between 10 in. and 36 in. wide, and boards up to 3 in. thick. Sliding feet attach to the lower bars with magnets, letting you position them quickly for stability on any surface. The spring-loaded jaws adjust easily, dropping into notches along the bars. And the powerful clamp handles clear the benchtop.
Dubuque Clamp Works Bar Clamps - 4 pack
These clamps are as premium as their price is, but they're worth every penny. A few staffers have a small collection and they're almost always the first clamp they reach for.
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Comments
1- or 2-inch wide strips of paper would serve the purpose just as well. Or a strip blue tape along your pipe clamps.
Looks like almost all of the wax paper in this drawing is going to be crumpled up and thrown away for no real reason.
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